Picryl chloride
# Picryl chloride

Picryl chloride is an organic compound with the formula $ClC_6H_2(NO_2)_3.$ It is a bright yellow solid that is highly explosive, as is typical for polynitro aromatics such as picric acid. Its detonation velocity is 7,200 m/s.

## Reactions

The reactivity of picryl chloride is strongly influenced by the presence of three electron-withdrawing nitro groups. Consequently picryl chloride is an electrophile as illustrated by its reactivity toward sulfite to give the sulfonate:

    $ClC_6H_2(NO_2)_3$ + $Na_2SO_3$ → $NaO_3SC_6H_2(NO_2)_3$ + NaCl

Picryl chloride is also a strong electron acceptor. It forms a 1:1 charge-transfer complex with hexamethylbenzene.

